He looks at me like I’m full of shit. “And you’re so prone to do what you’re told?” He shakes his head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
I stand up quickly. “I’m going for a run. I’ll be back.”
He tips his head to the side. “You do what you gotta do to pull your big damn head out of your ass, man, but listen to me for a second.” He stands up. “I’ve known you since the womb. You never get worked up over a female. A kid, yeah, you’d let Slick or Princess rob you blind, but a woman, no. You don’t trust women at all, hell, you use two condoms. They’re nothing more than a place to stick your dick. Tell me honestly, besides when you were kids, have you used condoms with Chelsea?”
Damn it, he’s right.
He laughs and throws his hands up. “You don’t even have to answer that question. I know the look, I’ve looked at it in the mirror. When your mind is that wrapped up in someone, you could care less if you have a condom or not. She’s under your skin, in your heart, and that’s okay. She’s a good person and she deserves someone like you. That feeling, like you’re short of breath and you’re going to pass out? That’s love,” he says, slapping my back before he leaves the room.
Yeah, I need this run more than anything else right now. In some way it’s like running from it all without looking like a pussy. Without another word, I bail.
CHAPTER 23
CHELSEA
Maybe, just maybe this will be one of the last nights I have to dance here. Normally I would fight Huck on this, but I think my mom has her suspicions about my second job. I could go the rest of my life with her never knowing about it. I know she would rather die from cancer than have her daughter stripping for the money to buy her meds.
My phone pings with an incoming text.
HUCK: Liz gave me your new #. Hope it’s okay. Please be careful tonight. I’ll be happy when you don’t work at that club anymore.
ME: It’s fine that you have my number. And trust me I’ll be happy when I no longer have to do this either. I promise to be careful.
HUCK: That’s all I ask.
Maybe we’re making progress in this friend thing. I take a last look in the mirror before walking out to the stage.
Caressing the pole as I dance, the place is packed, my tips should be good tonight. It’s concerning that I can basically do this without thinking now. I can take my clothes off in front of strangers and dance around with very little care. I’m numb, that’s the only answer I can construe in my head. Yeah, really time to be done with this place. Considering when I first started this, I threw up before my show and after, now I’m not even sure I’m conscious for it. Going through the motions, I finish and walk back to my dressing room. Tugg knocks a minute or so later with my tips.
“Thank you, Tugg.” I give him a soft smile. He’s really nice looking with a ruggedness about him.
He gives me a polite nod. “No problem, Grace. Are you leaving for the night?”
“Yes, as soon as I dress.” I have no desire to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary.
“Okay, I’ll be ready to walk you out,” he says, leaving me to dress.
I reply with a simple, “Thank you,” as the door shuts.
I quickly dress in my street clothes and grab my duffle bag. Tucking the small holstered handgun in the waist of my jeans, I let the hem of my shirt cover it. I promised him I’d be safe and I will. I’m going to prove to him that I’m capable of taking care of myself. I’m done with Pavel’s shit, too, I’m going to be strong. He cannot control me like a puppet. I’m going to show him I’m done with him and his bullshit games.
Stepping in the hallway, Tugg isn’t there. I look around for a second but finally just shrug it off. I shoulder my duffle bag and walk out the back door and start toward my car.
The hairs stand up on the back of my neck, I know someone is behind me. I don’t run, but I do pick up my pace. I hoist my duffle up further and put my hand on my gun.
As I’m within reaching distance of my car, I’m suddenly shoved forward. Pain radiates as my face hits the car. The person grabs me by the hair and spins me around, placing a knife against my throat. He has a mask on. “Give Volkov a message.” I nod my head. “I did his dirty work. He owes me. If he doesn’t come up with the money, I’ll kill him.” He holds the knife closer to my face. “Such a pretty face, hate that I have to scar it up so he gets that I’m serious.” I try to shove him away and he just laughs. I feel the knife pierce my skin.
Finding any bit of courage I have, I keep squirming and manage to kick him in the shin. The knife slips and he slices my face. I scream and he yells, “You bitch!” As I shove him away, I start running.
He makes a grab for me and I fall forward. Grabbing the small hand gun from my holster, I roll over quickly and point it at him. “Go away or I’ll shoot.”
He actually laughs, starting toward me. Shaking, I pull the trigger and hear the blast. I keep pulling the trigger until it just clicks.
I feel a heaviness in my chest. I can’t breathe. It hurts. I’m trying but I can’t seem to find the air. I feel like the world is going black.
I feel someone shaking me. “Grace! Grace!” Coming to, I see Tugg crouched over me.
It startles me and I jump.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. We called 911. They’re on the way.”
I nod, still shaking. “Chelsea!” Liz comes running over to me and falls to her knees beside me.
“Liz?”
She nods and shakes her head. “It’s all right. You got him.”
They help me sit up and soon, I hear sirens. The club manager comes out, bringing me a bottle of water. “Chelsea, I’m so sorry, this has never happened before. Tugg is fired.”
I shake my head. “No. Don’t fire him, I didn’t wait for him. He was going to walk me out. It’s my fault.”
He finally sighs and nods. “Okay.” He looks to Liz, “Keep me posted on her.”
Soon, there are officers there and EMTs. Moments later, Mack is standing in front of me. “Chelsea, they’re taking you to the hospital to get your face seen about. I’m coming down and I’ll ask you some questions down there.”
Everything goes by in a blur. All I know right now is that my face is throbbing, on fire and my head is killing me. I know Liz has been talking to me and there are a lot of lights. I keep dozing off. Every time I wake up, I’m in a new place.
~*~*~
I feel like I’m dreaming now.
“Chelsea, baby, please wake up for me.” I hear my mother’s voice.
I fight the exhaustion. “Mom,” I croak out. I force my eyes open.
She’s standing over me with a surgical mask on. “Oh sweetie, you gave me one hell of a scare.”
A minute later, Dr. Reynolds walks in with Elaine. “Chelsea, I like seeing you here, but only when you’re working. Not in a hospital bed.”
I try to laugh at Dr. Reynolds but my head hurts. “My head is killing me.”
Dr. Reynolds nods. “From the sounds of it you have a good reason, your head hit the pavement pretty hard. You have a mild concussion,” I automatically touch my face and feel gauze. He continues, “We had the plastic surgeon stitch up your face and set your nose, so your nose should be straight and hopefully the scars will be minimal. You’re going to be staying at least until tomorrow for observation because of the concussion.” He injects something into the IV I have in. “I’m giving you a little pain medicine, it shouldn’t make you too drowsy but you may be just from the concussion. Now, I’m sending your mother home,” he says sternly. “She doesn’t need to be exposed to the hospital.”
I nod in agreement. “Mom, you need to go home. You’re in the middle of a round of treatment, we can’t have you getting sick. I’ll be fine.”
Elaine steps forward. “Yes, Jenny, she’ll be fine. I have several guys out in the waiting room who won’t let anything happen to her.” She gives me a soft smile.
Mom steps up to my bedside. “Okay, swee
tie. I’ll go, but you and I need to have a serious talk when you get out of here. Mack is here to take your statement if you’re feeling up to it.”
Her saying Mack’s name makes me think of the parking lot. Shit. “My gun?”
Mom looks at me sternly. “The gun is taken for evidence right now. Like I said, you and I have a lot to talk about.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say softly. “You can go ahead and send Mack in.” I look to Elaine. “Can you ask the others to give me a few minutes to talk to Mack?”
She nods and walks my mom out of the room.
A few minutes later, Mack comes in. “Chelsea, girl, if you weren’t hurt right now, I’d beat your ass.” He shakes his head. “But on the same note, I’m glad you took care of yourself. Now, I need you to explain to me what happened.”
I tell him I started carrying the gun after that night at the house, then I fill him in on what I remember from tonight. “What happened to my attacker?”
He sighs. “You emptied the magazine into him. He was dead when we got there.”
“Oh,” I say nervously.
“So who is Pavel?” he asks cautiously.
Fumbling with the hospital blanket, I look up at the man my dad trained and the dam breaks. Tears roll from my eyes and I really can’t control it any more. “Pavel Volkov. He’s a guy I dated when I was living down south. It’s not a great story and it didn’t end on the best of terms. He’s married, and he was my boss. I’m not proud of myself and my father would be ashamed of me.”
He puts his hands up, stopping me. “Hey, we all screw up every now and then. It’s not my place to judge you. Don’t ever think your dad would’ve been ashamed of you. Now, do you know what the man in the parking lot was talking about?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I mean I always wondered about some of Pavel’s business deals, but I never asked any questions.”
He nods his head. “Do you think Mr. Volkov could’ve sent him to hurt you or kidnap you?”
“No, this guy said he wanted Pavel to get a message. I guess whoever it is thought we were still together.”
He finishes jotting something in his note pad. “All right, well I think you need to get some rest tonight. I’ll stop back by tomorrow and check on you. Take care of yourself, Chelsea. I’ll be contacting Mr. Volkov with some questions.”
“I figured you would have to do that. Thanks, Mack. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He nods, going out the door.
Seconds later, the door swings open and Huck fills the doorway. My breath catches in my throat as he stalks over to the bed and kisses me hard on the lips.
CHAPTER 24
HUCK
I’d been at home watching some stupid Einstein show with Krista, trying to get her back to sleep for Kara and my brother, when Liz called me screaming. It all went by in a blur until now. I’ve been sitting in the waiting room with our family and Jenny for a couple of hours, which have felt like forty-eight hours.
If she hadn’t already killed the mother fucker who put his hands on her, I would find him and kill him myself. I guess she meant it when she said she could take care of herself. I just need to know why some guy was trying to attack her in the back parking lot.
I know she’s going to be fine, she’s not really in danger of dying, unless she has some unknown brain bleed. Elaine has kept us updated on that. Basically we’re just waiting for them to get her set up in her room. She had to go into a short surgery to set her nose and sew up the cuts on her face. Elaine raised hell until they got the plastic surgeon here to take care of her. It also helped that the plastic surgeon liked Chelsea personally.
Elaine just stepped back into the room and asked for Jenny to come back for a moment.
Maybe we’ll be able to see her soon. There have been several cops hanging around, I’m sure it’s guys who know her because of her dad.
I hate that all of her secrets have come out like this. Although, the way her mom took the news of her stripping, I’m pretty sure she figured it out.
I assured her mom all I could. I told her it was really a high class place and she only did it for the extra money. I also admitted that it was my main goal for the fundraiser and that I didn’t like other men seeing her. Once again, Jenny told me how wonderful I was and how much she appreciated everything I was doing.
Sly sits down in the chair beside me, pulling me out of my own thoughts. “Man, you’ll get to go back there soon. She’s going to wake up, it’s just the concussion. I remember waiting on Kara to wake up, it felt like forever. But it’s all going to be okay.”
“Thanks, brother. I hate you guys are up here in the middle of the night with me. You should take Kara and the baby home.”
He nods casually, “After I know you’re going to get back to see her, I’ll go.”
He holds his fist out and I bump mine against it. “Thanks, bro.”
“Hey, you kept me from losing my mind, I owe you. This is really easy in comparison.”
I think about Kara and Krista’s lives hanging in the balances. We were beyond scared that neither of them were going to make it, but they both are fighters.
Jenny comes through the doors smiling. Even though I can’t see her mouth, I can tell by her eyes. “She’s awake and talking. Mack is taking her statement right now.” She looks at me pointedly. “As soon as he comes out, you can go in. They’re sending me home, they’re worried about germs.”
I nod. “Yeah, go home and get some rest. I’ll look after her tonight.”
I look over at my brother who is gathering up his family. “Bro, will you drive Jenny home?” One of the deputies had brought her here.
He smiles. “Sure. Come on, wild woman, let’s go.”
She gives him a little laugh, following him out the door. Leave it to my brother to make everyone laugh a little during the worst of times.
As soon as Mack steps back in the room, I breeze past him. Walking straight to her door, I shove it open and stand there looking at her in the bed with her face bandaged. I can’t think of anything but holding her. I storm over to her bedside and kiss her hard on the lips.
“Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again,” I say, breathing in her face.
She shakes her head. “I’ll try not to.” She sighs. “Can you lie here with me?”
“I don’t know if I’ll fit, babe, but I’ll try. Sly is taking your mom home, by the way,” I say, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Good, she needs to go home.”
She slowly moves to one side. “Are you sure you want me up here, babe?”
She nods. “Yeah, I just need to feel you close to me.”
I position myself on my side and pull her to me. “So I’m guessing you’ve figured out that your mom knows about your other job, huh?”
“Yeah, she said we have to have a long talk later.”
“Do you know anything about the guy who attacked you?” I ask, brushing her hair away from her face.
“I’ve never met him. He was there because of something to do with Pavel owing him money. He was going to use me to send him a message. It’s all a blur. One minute there was a knife poking me in the face and the next I was lying on my back firing a gun at him,” she says, staring into space.
Hearing that damn name again from her lips, my body involuntarily pulls away. She looks up at me with her lip still trembling. I’ve never been able to see her cry. I swallow my feelings and pull her back in close, stroking her hair. “All right,” I say, kissing her softly, “let’s get some rest.”
CHAPTER 25
CHELSEA
Who ever thought you could rest in a hospital was full of shit. I had nurses coming in every couple of hours to check on me because of the concussion. One mean nurse made Huck get out of my bed. Elaine came in a little bit ago and made him go get some breakfast with her while one of the nurses helped me get a shower.
My face hurts, but seeing it for the first time in the mirror hurt much more. I’ve never been one t
o be vain, but when you see a huge gash stitched up on the side of your face, it kills your self-esteem a little.
“Knock knock, I’ve got a delivery for you.” A pink lady, one of the volunteers at the hospital, brings in a large arrangement of flowers.
“Thank you.” I smile at the elderly woman.
She pulls the card off. “Here you go, sweetie. Hope you get to feeling better.”
I take the card from her. “Thank you.”
After she steps out of the room, I open the card.
Krasavitsa- Get Well Soon -PV
Get well soon? Really? That son of a bitch, I’m in here because of him and all he can say is “get well soon”? What a fucking bastard. I hate him.
The doctor has already said they’re going to release me in a little bit.
Just as soon as I feel up to it or I can sneak off, I’m taking the drive to Miami and I’m going to end this, whatever this is, once and for all.
The door swings open and Huck strolls in. “Hey, beautiful.” He notices the flowers. “Nice flowers.”
I crumple the card in my hand. “Oh yeah, I guess they’re from my co-workers or something. No card.”
“So I talked to your mom this morning and let her know I’d be bringing you home.”
“You talked to my mom?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Elaine said they’re getting your paperwork ready now so it shouldn’t be too much longer.” He hands me some scrubs. “Here, she said you could wear these home. They had to give the cops your jeans and shirt last night for evidence since there was blood on them.”
An hour later, I’m checked out and on my way home. The doctors told me I have to take it easy for a few days. The stitches are self-absorbing, so at least I don’t have to get them removed. I just have to make an appointment for the surgeon to check my nose in a few weeks.
“So now, if I leave you here, are you going to take it easy?” Huck asks, standing in the doorway of my mom’s place.
“Yes. I’ll take it easy, I promise,” I say, laughing.
Holding Huck's Heart (Marco's MMA Boys #3) Page 12